Wagon-brake.



No. 739,192. I PATENTED SEPT. 1511903.

- R. LOVE.

' WAGON BRAKE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 7. 1902.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

" No.739,192'. PATBNTEDSB1 'I.'15,1903.-

" R.-LOVE.'

WAGON BRAKE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 7. 1902.

no MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

aaam 7 ml: mmms PETERS co, moroumou vasumc'rou n c no. 739,192, 7 IUNITED STATES:

Patented September 15, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE;

ROBERT LOVE, OF TUNNELTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

WAGON-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 739,192, datedSeptember 15, 1903. Application filed February '7, 1902. Serial No.92,966. (We model.)

To all? whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, ROBERT LOVE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Tunnelton, in the county of Indiana and State of Pennsyl-Vania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inXVagon-Brakes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to wagon-brakes of that type in which the brake-baris carried by eccentrically-pivoted links and the bar engages with theperipheries of the wheels below a horizontal plane extending through theaxes thereof, whereby the forward rotation of the wheels when thebrake-bar is in contact therewith will serve to increase the grip ofsaid bar.

The invention resides in the details of construction, as will behereinafter d escribed,and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in WlllCl1--Figure 1 shows the invention in side elevation applied to an ordinaryroad-wagon. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view. Fig. 3 is a detailview, in side elevation, illustrating the mechanism arranged at theopposite side of the wagon to that shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4c is a detailview of the mechanism coacting with the hand-lever for arresting themovement thereof and for locking said lever, and Fig. 5 illustratesamodification of this mechanism.

In the accompanying drawingsl have shown my improved brake mechanismapplied to an ordinary road-wagon and it will be understood that withbut slight modifications, well within the scope of the invention, it maybe applied to a variety of wagons.

The brake-bar is shown at a being carried by links 1), extending througheach end thereof and pivoted to the opposite ends of a cross-bar 0,supported upon and secured to the runninggear of the wagon.

As will be noted, the links are pivoted above and eccentrically of theaxes of the wheels, while the brake-bar engages the periphery of thelatter below a horizontal plane through said axes. It will thus beappreciated that the brake-bar will be carried around by the wheels whenin frictional contact therewith and that as this movement of thebarincreases the distance between the same and the pivotal point of thesupporting-links said bar will be drawn more tightly again st the wheelsto in-. crease the braking action as t'e wheel rotates.

The movement of the brake-bar is controlled by a hand-lever cl, pivotedto a suitable bracket arranged beneath the drivers seat or, rather,

to theside of the wagon below the end of the drivers seat. This lever isprovided with a handle portion extending up to within easy reach of thedriver and a portionor extension below its pivot, which is pivotallyconnected by a horizontally-extending link 6 to the Vertical member of abell-crank lever f, pivoted to or on a bracket secured to the wagonrunning-gear. This bell-crank lever is preferably mounted on the end ofa transverse shaft g, pivot-ally supported in brackets mounted on saidgear, and said shaft carries at its end opposite to that on which thebell-crank lever is mounted a lever or arm 2, corresponding to the shortarm of said bell-crank lever. The short armof this lever is pivotallyconnected at its ends by a link Z to one end of the brakebar, and acorresponding link connects the other end of said bar to the end of thelever or arm *6. The brake-bar is thus supported from the shaft g,whichmay be termed a rockshaft, and the position of the latter is controlleddirectly by the vertical member of the bell-crank lever. To normallyhold this member retracted, whereby the brake-baris maintained out offrictional engagement with the wheels, and to assist in releasing saidbar, as will be hereinafter explained, and also ,to steady the movementof the braking mechanism, a yielding connection is interposed betweenthe upper part of said arm and a fixed point or lug arranged to the rearof said bellcrank. As shown herein,this yielding connection comprises anadjustable chain,connected at one end directly to the vertical member ofthe bell-crank, and a coil-spring interposed between the opposite end ofthe same and a fixed part on on the wagon-body. The tensioning of thisspring is such that it tends normally to retract the bell-crank. Themovement of the bell-crank is controlled by the hand-lever, beforedescribed, and tothrow the brake-bar into frictional contact with, thewheels this lever is thrown in the direction of the arrow. As beforedescribed, as soon as the brake-bar engages the periphery of the wheelsit will be carried around by the same and in said movementtightenedthereupon. To limit or arrest the movement of the brake'barunder the influence of the wheels,I have provided a fixed ratchet-barn,with which a catch on the handlever is adapted to engage. lVhen saidcatch engages a predetermined tooth on said ratchetbar, the movement ofthe brake-bar beyond a predetermined point will be prevented, as inorder for the brake-bar to move downwardly the forward or lower end ofthe hand-lever must move forwardly, and when said lever is locked thismovement is of course prevented. To maintain the brake-bar in brakingposition when the wagon is on an incline and the wheels tend to rotaterearwardly, I provide means for locking the hand -lever against movementin an opposite direction to which it is locked by the ratchet-lever. Aswill be understood, if the wheels tend to rotate rearwardly and thebrake-bar is free it would be raised out of frictional contact with saidwheels, and consequently means must be provided to prevent this liftingaction. For this purpose I have provided means to prevent the upper endof the hand-lever moving forwardly, as this action is necessary in orderfor the brake-bar to rise. The means shown in Fig. 1 consists merely ofa catch 0, designed to engage the hand-lever, while in the modificationI have shown a ratchet-bar 0 arranged parallel to but with its teeth setin an opposite direction to the ratchet-bar 11. As will be apparent, bythrowing the hand-lever forwardly the bellcrank lever is rockedrearwardly and the brake-bar lifted out of engagement with the wheels,while when the hand-lever is thrown rearwardly the brakebar is pressedinto engagement with the wheels. The latter movement takes place againstthe tension of the spring and chain before described, and thus themechanism is given an even and uniform action.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. In a wagon-brake, the combination ofthe running-gear, a rock-shat t mounted thereon, a bell-crank levermounted on said rockshaft, a? brake-bar for engaging the wheel, a pairof links rigidly secured at one end to the brake-bar and pivoted attheir opposite ends to supports on the frame independent of the rearaxle, a hand-lever, link connections between said hand-lever and one armof said bell-crank lever, link connections between said brake-bar andthe other arm of said bellcrank lever, and a flexible connectionincluding a tension-spring between the longer arm of the bell-cranklever having a fixed point located in rear of said brake-bar and tendingto move the brake-shoes from contact with the wheels.

2. In a wagon-brake, a pivoted hand-lever, a pair of oppositely-disposedlugs or projections integral with said hand-lever and arranged one abovethe other, a pair of toothed racks disposed one above the other, theteeth of which are oppositely arranged for engageinent'by said lugs,whereby said hand-lever can be positively secured in a positioncorresponding to any degree of application or release of the brakes.

3. In a wagon-brake, an A-shaped frame, a hand-lever pivoted to thecross-piece of the A-shaped frame, apair of oppositely-disposed lugs orprojections integral with said handlever, and arranged in differenthorizontal planes, a pair of toothed racks the teeth of which areoppositely arranged and adapted to be engaged by said lugs, whereby saidhand-lever can be positively secured in a position corresponding to anydegree of application or release of the brakes.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT LOVE.

W'itnesses:

T. D. BooNE, J. C. MOORE.

